


the wind is soft above (the shadows umber)

by xseelenfrieden



Series: Zukka Week 2021 [2]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alcohol, Ambassador Sokka, Bisexual Sokka, Chronic Pain, Firelord Zuko, First Kiss, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, M/M, Miscommunication, Mutual Pining, Sharing a Bed, Zukka Week 2021, Zukka through the years, Zuko is chronically sleep deprived in this, but i guess thats kinda canon, its not a lot but i had to please zukka nation, we really checking all the boxes here
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-18
Updated: 2021-03-18
Packaged: 2021-03-27 16:02:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,667
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30125325
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xseelenfrieden/pseuds/xseelenfrieden
Summary: And there he was, right in the middle of the grass.Zuko just seemed to stand there, smiling and admiring the moon and the stars above him and sometimes letting out a long sigh. The pale light of the moon and the absence of any fire whatsoever almost made him look otherworldly, like a spirit that was just on a visit to their world. It was still summer, so the night was almost as hot as the day, but the wind that swept through the trees was fresh and made the hairs on Sokka's bare arms suddenly stand up.(...)He felt himself being drawn to staring into those eyes, that with each second seemed to dilate more. They were so unbelievable beautiful, Sokka thought. Like a raging fire, like Agni himself, as if he had chosen to leave the sky and settle into the eyes of the man on top of him. And Sokka might have hit his head way harder than expected, because they seemed to be getting closer, and closer, and...Oh.xxxFive times Zuko fell asleep on Sokka and one time Zuko helped Sokka fall asleep.Zukka Week Day 5 - 5 + 1
Relationships: Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Series: Zukka Week 2021 [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2213274
Comments: 10
Kudos: 96





	the wind is soft above (the shadows umber)

**Author's Note:**

> This is it.  
> This monster is basically the reason that I only managed to do three prompts, but... oh well. At least I'm kinda happy with how this turned out!  
> (Although my fic for Day 7 is still my favourite... just wait for it)
> 
> I actually did some research for this, but idk if it shows.
> 
> Tell me what you think and I hope you enjoy! :)

Firebending training was hard. Exhausting, really.

And not only did that apply to Aang, who started to feel the pressure of learning the unfamiliar element in only the span of a few weeks, but also to his teacher, Zuko.

After having visited the dragons, the two of them were both blessed with knowing the original and purest source of fire. However, they also had to get used to the sheer ferocity that now accompanied their bending, even in training.

All of them had been able to notice this right away, back at the Western Air Temple. When Sokka had gone to check out their - now improved - bending during the first session they had after their return, he had been left amazed at the colour and the heat their new fire possessed.

That same evening, Toph had commented on how their campfire felt more inviting, and everyone had agreed.

After spending a few more weeks at the temple, which included two more life-changing field trips and one life-threatening attack by a family member, they now found themselves at the Firelord's very own beach house on Ember Island. Aang and Zuko had continued their training during those weeks and the first few days on the island, and slowly but surely started to get the hang of their newly powered bending.

Zuko mentioned that they were advancing way faster than he had dared to hope one evening and everyone was ecstatic. Even if there was no way that Aang would be able to master firebending by the time the comet arrived, he would be well on his way to do so. And honestly, given the situation they had found themselves in, they couldn't really ask for more.

But like so much in life, Sokka thought, everything had to come at a price.

Not a hefty one, not really, but a price nonetheless.

Aang was the kind of person that never seemed to run out of energy. Still talking and telling stories around the fire even after a long day of training. That was why it wasn't that noticeable at first.

The way that with each day, the bags under Zuko's eyes seemed to grow in size. The way his head would sometimes fall forward for just the glimpse of a second after they had finished eating, only for him to catch himself before falling over completely. The way that every morning his expression would turn just a bit more sour, obviously never missing his morning meditation at sunrise, but seeming growingly displeased with his nature of rising with the sun.

And Sokka would've liked to believe that he noticed all these signs early on, but if he was being honest... He only started observing Zuko more closely when he began to yawn in excessive amounts during their evenly rounds around the fire, while someone was recounting one of their countless adventures of the last year.

Surely those tales couldn't be that boring, right? He was in most of them after all. Even if he did not always play the starring role. 

But looking at Zuko now, he could guess why he was struggling to focus on the stories being told.

The dude looked completely drained. Shoulders slumped over, arms resting on his knees and holding the small cup of tea in an unnecessarily strong grip as if that would help him stay awake.

So when all the others had already gone inside the beach house to go to sleep in one of the overly pompous beds and Zuko made no move to follow them, seemingly having already dozed off or just being too out of it to notice that everyone had left, Sokka decided to investigate.

Plopping down next to the crouched form of his friend, he leaned back on his hands and looked at him questioningly.

"Don't you think you could at least lie down before going to sleep? Would be more comfortable, I think."

Before he could even finish the first sentence, Zuko had already snapped his head up and started to look around erratically.

"What? What do you mean? Where is everyone?

The utterly lost expression on his face made Sokka smile softly.

"Inside. Probably already in bed. It is pretty late, you know", he gestured at the horizon where the sun had already set a few hours ago as if to prove his point, "so I was wondering if you had chosen to spend the night outside instead. Missing the fresh morning breeze at the temple?"

Zuko's shoulders started to settle down again and his posture became less alert.

"No... No, it's not that."

"So what is it then? You seem kind of off lately, what's wrong?"

Zuko moved so that he could pull his knees up to his chest. He rested his head on top of them and then let out a long sigh.

"I don't know... No, in a way I do know it's just... I don't know why, I have no idea why this keeps happening and it's freaking me out and..."

Letting out a frustrated grunt, Zuko lifted his hands to pull at his shaggy hair and shook his head.

Sokka huffed and reached out to lay a supporting hand on his friend's shoulder, stopping himself halfway. He had a feeling that any kind of touch would just freak him out further at this point. Better to wait for him to be the one to initiate.

"I don't want to be rude, but you're not really making any sense right now, dude", Sokka smiled encouragingly, even though he could not see him like this, "Maybe start at the beginning and we can try and figure it out from there?"

Finally, Zuko lifted his head again, turned to look at Sokka and noticed his smile. Flushing lightly, he went back to studying his knees and feet.

"Yeah, right, sorry. I guess I was just rambling....

Like I said, I don't really fully get it myself, but all of this kind of started after Aang and I went to Ran and Shaw. We were given this incredible gift, a fire so pure and powerful, I've never seen anything similar in my life... Well, except for uncle I guess."

Zuko smiled bitterly at the memory, but Sokka encouraged him to keep going. His uncle was a whole other issue that needed to be addressed some other time.

"And how is this connected to you looking like you haven't slept in _months_?"

This got a little chuckle out of Zuko and somehow made Sokka feel extremely proud of himself. 

"In a lot of ways, kind of. This new fire... It's just so.. _strong_. It almost feels like it's wearing me out from the inside out. There is this foreign energy inside me that just longs to be released, to be used to fuel my bending, but my body... My body doesn't seem to know how to deal with it. This has been stressing me out for weeks now, I just can't get used to it somehow..."

Raising his head, Zuko looked up into the sky and Sokka followed his gaze to where he could see Yue shining right above them, always looking out for them.

"I always used to rely on my pure physical strength, and my anger, for my bending, you know that. That's how it has always been, that was what I was used to, what I could deal with. But this.. This is just overwhelming me in so many ways. And I can't seem to get a break from it either. Even at night, I just keep coming back to it, like it's pulling me back in and won't let me leave for even a few hours...

I know I should be grateful. This is an amazing opportunity for Aang and myself but... right now I just feel like a total mess because of it."

Zuko suddenly seemed to snap out of his thoughts and looked at Sokka with a startled expression.

"I'm sorry, you probably don't care for any of this... I should just go inside an try to get some sleep even if it's futile... Sorry for bothering you-"

But before Zuko could even fully get up to head inside, Sokka's hand had shot out and held him down by his shoulder. Remembering what he had told himself just moments earlier, he quickly redacted his hand and coughed awkwardly. At least now Zuko was not in the process of getting up anymore, but rather chose to stare at him with a questioning gaze.

"That's not true", Sokka started, "I do care. For all of this, I mean. Honestly, that really sucks and I can't really imagine having all of this raw power in myself and not being able to control it but... I also used to have problems sleeping as a kid. It started with the first raid I think."

Zuko looked down at his hands again, but Sokka continued.

"Anyway, our mum was still.. around at that time and she always used to tell me one of the tales our tribe has been keeping alive for generations. I don't know why, but they always seemed to calm me down enough, that I was able to fall asleep."

"Sounds nice", Zuko smiled, "and just like how my mother always used to read her favourite plays to us when we were upset."

Sokka smiled. He could see that just thinking about these happy memories made Zuko feel more relaxed.

"Do you want to hear one?", he asked, "I'm not sure if I remember everything correctly, but I guess I can just make some stuff up."

Zuko returned his smile and nodded.

"Sounds good."

Swallowing the lump that had suddenly formed in his throat at Zuko's soft smile, Sokka quickly nodded and cleared his throat.

"Alright, listen closely then. This one is about the dancing snow fox and how he disguised himself to fit in with the humans. It starts like this: ...."

Concentrating on his admittedly fairly fuzzy memory, Sokka tried to recount this ancient story as best as he could. He refused to directly look at Zuko, so he would not be distracted.

That was why he almost screamed in alarm when he felt a sudden weight on his right shoulder.

Freezing in place he shut his mouth, but started to relax again after he could hear a soft snoring sound, directly next to his ear.

Being careful to not disturb the other boy, he slowly moved his head to the side to look at Zuko. Even from this fairly awkward angle he could make out his relaxed face, finally sleeping soundly next to him, his head resting on Sokka's shoulder. A comfortable warmth seemed to spread from where his head was nestled against him and Sokka would have almost started to drift away himself, if not for his back to start screaming at him to please get into a more appropriate position for the night.

So he reached behind himself to grab a blanket that someone had probably used to get more comfortable around the fire and moved to spread it over both of their forms. He then tried his best to lie down without disturbing the peaceful sleep of his friend, which proved to be way more difficult than expected.

Finally, he managed to settle next to the fire that was still gleaming with an unnatural heat, with Zuko's head still carefully tucked into the crook of his neck and, most importantly, without waking him up or disturbing his sleep at all.

Letting out a relieved sigh, Sokka settled down and pulled the blanket up and over both of their shoulders.

If he was being honest, he did not imagine this night, and this conversation, turning out like this. But being surrounded by two sources of incredible nice and cosy heat definitely did not make him regret a single thing.

Closing his eyes he felt himself drift away as well. The last thing he felt was Zuko's warm breath on his neck and the way he unconsciously nuzzled just a bit closer to his body.

He would think about the way his heart seemed to jump at that tomorrow, Sokka told himself. Right now he was just glad that he had been able to help Zuko out.

The next morning, things started of a little awkward, but the way that Zuko blushed as he told Sokka that that was probably the best sleep he had gotten in weeks, made his heart do the funny thing again and conjured a stupid, happy smile on his face for the rest of the day.

* * *

It was over.

They had won. 

And this wasn't one of his recurring daydreams (and nightmares).

This was real. Aang had taken the Loserlord's bending and somehow his sister and Zuko had managed to beat Azula and both of them had now been locked up for good.

Everything seemed to go smoothly. Alarmingly so. It almost seemed too perfect to be true. The way that in every nation the people were celebrating, rediscovering their lost hope and finally looking forward to a future that was worth it.

Or, at least that was what Suki and the others had been telling him.

Sokka was embarrassed to admit it, but his broken leg and general injuries from the day of the comet had forced him to spend the last few days in the Fire palace's infirmary, being told repeatedly by Katara and the various healers to stay in bed, not move too much, drink this and swallow that and frankly... he was _done_.

He absolutely hated not being able to do anything. Being forced to stay put and wait for the others to pay him a visit and tell him about what was going on outside of these walls that seemed to shrink in on him as the days passed.

To be fair, there was almost always someone there keeping him company and listening to him complain about the sheer boredom he was experiencing. It almost seemed like they were afraid he would just get up and run away if they let him out of their sight for too long.

Not that they were wrong. He absolutely had already made plans to do exactly that. And he may have also tried it a few times.

Didn't really work out that well, though.

And after all, looking at the way they seemed to almost guard him during the day, it was an impossible task anyway.

Today was different, however. He was handed his breakfast by one of the servants and after she left, he was left to eat alone.

Strange, Sokka thought, that had not happened before. Normally either Suki or Katara would join him in the mornings, bringing a fresh pot of tea with them that had been brewed by Iroh himself, only for him.

Shrugging to himself, he started eating his breakfast on his own. Maybe they were just late, or maybe something important had come up. So important, that they didn't bother to check on him or even inform him of anything because after all he was just rotting away in here, unable to do anything at all and....

 **BOOM**.

He almost spilled a whole glass of moonpeach juice all over himself when the door suddenly burst open and slammed against the wall, causing everything in the room to sway a little.

"What the _fuck_?!"

Sokka could not contain his outburst. What was the meaning of this? Did they suddenly forget how to knock properly or open doors in a normal way?"

The voice that greeted him cleared up most of his questions, if not all of them.

"Calm down, Snoozles, it's just us. Relax!"

"Spirits, Toph", Sokka leaned back against the headboard, no longer alert, "Have some mercy for the injured, won't ya? I'm actually trying to get better here."

"Quit the whining, we all know that's not true." She stomped towards his bed and pressed her index finger into his chest accusingly. "Sugar Queen told me what you've been up to and if you weren't already stuck with a broken leg I would definitely not think twice about chucking some rocks your way."

Sokka let out a nervous laugh.

"Looks like there are some upsides to this after all."

"Yeah well don't to comfortable, Snoozles", Toph removed her finger and crossed her arms in front of her chest, a smug grin appearing on her face.

"We got you some company to keep you from completely ignoring everything we tell you. They should be arriving right now."

And as if by command, Sokka could make out his sister's voice coming from the hallway.

"Don't you dare leave me alone like that, Toph! You agreed to help me transport him, so come on!"

"Sounds like Sugar Queen is pissed, better go and help her out", Toph grinned and disappeared out the door.

Him? Who did they pick to keep watch over Sokka? Hopefully not one of the palace's guards, he was pretty sure that he would not survive a day with a surveillance like that.

But then there was movement again at the door and Sokka looked up only to feel his chest suddenly fill with a familiar warmth.

Seriously, what was happening to him? Why was it such a big deal to him that right now there was Zuko standing in the doorway, being held up by both sides by Toph and Katara.

Why did he care so much that he was finally able to see him again after only a few days apart?

Still struggling to figure himself out, Sokka just kept staring ahead right into Zuko's eyes. He noticed Zuko doing the same and his heart almost gave out at the colour that was suddenly rushing to the other boy's light cheeks. Examining him closer, he really looked extremely pale, his lips were chapped, there were large, black bags under both of his eyes and his hair appeared even more messy than normal.

Sokka swallowed.

"Hey."

Zuko smiled and looked down as he was helped into the bed next to Sokka's by both of the girls.

"Hello."

When Zuko was propped up against some pillows and looked somewhat comfortable, Toph gave him an unusual soft pat on the shoulder.

"Have fun, Sparky."

Then she moved to leave, Katara trailing just behind her.

Before she could also exit the room, Katara quickly looked over her shoulder and... _wait_ , did he see that right? Did his little sister just wink at him? What was the meaning of this?

The door closed and Sokka was left more confused then ever.

Shaking his head, he turned to grin at Zuko.

"So I guess you also refused to stay in bed like a good, obedient patient?"

Zuko flushed and again looked down at his hands that he had interlaced in his lap.

"I made it to the end of the hallway. Wanted to find out what they are talking about in all of the meetings, since everyone refuses to tell me anything."

He cringed.

"Didn't work out like I planned though. They had to collect me from the floor."

"And then they decided to bring you here so that we could keep an eye on each other?"

Zuko shrugged: "I guess so."

"What made them believe, that we wouldn't try to run away together? Help each other out that way?"

That made Zuko look up sharply at Sokka.

"Like I would allow that. You are hurt, Sokka! You need to stay in bed or your leg won't heal at all!"

Sokka sighed: "Says the one who straight up took a bolt of lightning to his chest not even a week ago... Really, you're one to talk."

Zuko looked away again and laughed dryly: "Guess they were right then to keep us here together."

"Well", Sokka started, wanting to change the subject, "We can enjoy it anyway. Better than being alone, right?"

The other boy flushed again and then with a soft look on his face he said: "Oh.. definitely."

After a few visits from their friends and family and countless hours being spent talking about everything and nothing at all, night came fast. It was the first time while being stuck in the infirmary that Sokka actually felt kind of tired at the end of the day.

He yawned and tried to find a more comfortable position for his left leg. They had already said goodnight to each other well over an hour ago, but somehow Sokka had a feeling that Zuko still wasn't sleeping either. 

His hunch was proven by a loud and exasperated sigh coming from the bed beside him, which was followed by a groan as Zuko tried to turn around without disturbing the bandages on his bare chest.

"Can't sleep?", Sokka asked and turned his head to the side to look at the figure beside him that was barely illuminated by the moonlight shining through the open windows.

Zuko huffed and a little column of smoke rose to the ceiling. He scratched at his hair.

"No. It's just... no matter what I do, it won't stop hurting."

Sokka propped himself up on his elbows and raised his eyebrows in concern.

"Is it still this bad? Your chest I mean?"

Zuko nodded and continued: "Yeah.. I mean, it's a lot better than it was a few days ago. I have Katara to thank for that. But sometimes it still feels like electricity is entering and passing through my body and it always starts right here." He motioned to someplace on his chest where Sokka presumed, the centre of the wound lied beyond the bandages. "And there is always this dull ache. Sometimes it even makes it hard to breathe and at night... I, I usually don't have anything to distract me. So it just keeps me awake till the morning when I finally pass out..."

Zuko shook his head. "It's stupid really, I-"

"Come on", Sokka didn't even let him finish his sentence and had already lifted his blanket a bit, inviting Zuko to climb in beside him.

He looked at him with a dumbfounded expression: "You sure?"

"Of course", Sokka smiled, "I'll make sure to distract you so that you can finally get some sleep. Kind of like that time on Ember Island, you remember?"

Now Zuko smiled as well and slowly made his way over, careful not to disturb the wound on his chest.

"Obviously I remember. How could I forget? I told you, that was the best sleep I had in like the last few months."

Ok, wow. Apparently Sokka was still not over the fact that Zuko could admit something like that just so casually.

He fought down the blush on his cheeks as Zuko settled down next to him. The bed was pretty small, so instead of keeping a bit of space between their bodies, Sokka pulled Zuko up to his chest, being mindful of the bandages the whole time. Because if one of them were to fall out of the bed during the night, Katara surely would never let them hear the end of this.

"You never finished telling me that story about the snow fox that wanted to dance with the humans, you know?" Zuko mumbled against his chest.

"Oh did I really forget about that?"

Sokka couldn't suppress the smirk that was sneaking onto his face.

"Now that is something that we need to change immediately! You comfortable like this?"

Zuko hummed softly and hesitantly moved one arm to drape over Sokka's middle, hand resting on his chest near his heart, that was currently beating way too fast.

"Now I am."

"Good", Sokka gulped, but then gathered the courage to cup Zuko's hand with his own and let his other one sneak into the messy black strands of the older boy's hair, "So... where were we? ... A yes, I think I remember. The fox had just danced with the humans for the second time, right?"

A soft nod. Sokka smiled.

And just like that night not so long ago, he started to tell the same story all over again.

And when he noticed that Zuko had again fallen asleep not even a few minutes into the tale, he found that he didn't mind at all, content to just squeeze the hand resting over his heart and bury his nose into the other's hair.

He closed his eyes and fell asleep to the sound of Zuko's breathing and the smell of jasmine and fire lilies.

* * *

The festivities for the second anniversary of the end of the war were well underway and, as a result, Sokka was drunk.

Everyone had been invited by Zuko to join him for the celebrations at the palace. And not only was the palace filled with foreign dignitaries and other guests just enjoying themselves and the newly found peace, but also the streets of Caldera were bustling with partying people and seemed to overflow with all the lights and music.

Sokka could still remember arriving at the port and being already greeted with some of the most amazing scents he had ever smelled. The Fire Nation was really going all out for this. Everyone was contributing, may it be through food, drink, music or dance and it was phenomenal.

Tonight they would most likely be stuck at the palace for the party after the official ceremony had ended, but the following days.... Oh, Sokka just couldn't wait to go down there and explore everything the streets of Caldera had to offer.

There was one other thing he was dead set on doing.

The two year anniversary of the end of the war also meant that it had now been over a year since he and Suki had officially broken up. Officially, at least. If he was being honest, being with her after the war had never really felt like it did when they were still fighting and fearing for their lives day after day. Maybe this stress had managed to hold them together and after everything was said and done.. there just wasn't anything left anymore.

He was glad to be able to say that it had been mutual though. It just didn't work out anymore and after they had not seen each other again for months leading up to the first anniversary, they met up and officially declared an end to their relationship.

This did not mean that Suki wasn't still one of his best friends. Absolutely not! He was _thrilled_ that they could finally see each other again like this and catch up, which they had already done quite a lot, so much so that Toph had been too annoyed with their constant chatter and left them to search for Aang.

After their break up and the celebrations for the first anniversary, Sokka had decided to finally return to the Southern Water Tribe for longer than a few weeks at a time. There was still so much work to be done rebuilding what had once be a great civilisation and he was excited to help out as much as he could.

Which thus led him to that other thing he absolutely needed to do.

He needed to find Zuko. This evening, preferably.

And he needed to tell him that he would soon be joining him in the palace as the Southern Water Tribe's very own ambassador!

He still couldn't believe how amazing that sounded. He was elated, excited and just couldn't wait to tell Zuko the news.

Okay, and maybe he was also kind of drunk which in turn caused him to obsess over this one piece of information and develop this need to tell Zuko right this evening!

But... who cares, right?

Holding his now empty glass of sake tightly in his hand, he looked around the large hall which had been decorated with lots of colourful flames for this special occasion.

He noticed himself swaying quite a bit while doing that, but before he could fully lose his balance, there was a hand on his shoulder, steadying him.

"Woah, take it easy." Suki was coming up beside him, her hand still resting on his shoulder, keeping him in place, and smiled. 

"You look like you're close to panicking. Who're you looking for?"

Sokka sighed and moves to put his glass down on a nearby table, reaching out with both hands to grasp the end of said table, really not wanting to end up on the floor because he couldn't find the damn Firelord at his own party.

"Just Zuko. Have you seen him at all after the ceremony? Seems to me like he somehow just disappeared."

Suki let go off his shoulder to also lean against the table with her hips and crossed her arms, looking up to the ceiling as if trying to remember something.

"I think I saw him with Toph just half an hour ago. Poor guy was stuck talking to all of the foreign dignitaries he personally invited all evening. Sometimes he's just way too polite for his own sake. When Toph arrived he already looked ready to pass out. I don't think she was a big help, though. I just saw her handing him drink after drink and then sending him outside to catch some fresh air.... The poor boy."

Suki chuckled and Sokka couldn't stop himself from smiling as well. That sounded like Zuko alright.

"So, he's outside? In the garden?"

"Yep", Suki pointed towards one of the hall's large exits, "I think he went through there, don't know if he's still there, but I think it's worth a shot. Don't expect too much though, I think he's pretty much finished for the evening."

"Don't worry", Sokka grinned and moved to head towards the said exit, "I just need to talk to him about something real quick. Pretty important stuff, you know."

Suki had crossed her arms again and looked at him, then laughed and shook her head.

"Pretty important stuff, okay, I think I can imagine. Off you go then!"

Sokka didn't need to be told twice. Suddenly he felt like he could walk without dangerously swaying anymore, so he confidently made his way over to the exit and left the building only to find himself in a small, dark garden with some trees and a large patch of grass right in the middle of it.

And there he was, right in the middle of the grass.

Zuko just seemed to stand there, smiling and admiring the moon and the stars above him and sometimes letting out a long sigh. The pale light of the moon and the absence of any fire whatsoever almost made him look otherworldly, like a spirit that was just on a visit to their world. It was still summer, so the night was almost as hot as the day, but the wind that swept through the trees was fresh and made the hairs on Sokka's bare arms suddenly stand up.

Making his way up to Zuko's side, he carefully circled a large root that was sticking out from the ground next to one of the trees in a weird way.

"There you are", Sokka started, standing almost right next to Zuko, "Y'know, I was wondering where you'd run off to this time and-"

He couldn't finish his sentence as he suddenly felt two strong arms enveloping him in a crushing hug.

For a moment, Sokka froze, but the his lips formed a soft smile and he also raised his arms to hug Zuko back.

"Everything alright?", he whispered, while Zuko was tucking his head under his chin and somehow nuzzling even closer than they already were. It was kind of an awkward position they were in, but Sokka found that he did not mind one bit. He would gladly stay here, wrapped up in Zuko's arms, for the rest of the night.

"Yeah", Zuko finally managed to get out, "I juss.. Just felt like I needed sum air... fresh air. 'Cause I think..." He gulped "I think I hadoo mush too drink. Ann... yeah."

Apparently satisfied with himself, Zuko nodded and looked up at Sokka, as if to check if he had understood everything.

The alcohol was still flowing around in Sokka's blood as well, so having Zuko's face up this close to his own, made his cheeks heat up immediately.

He almost felt like looking away, but... He just couldn't. In that moment, Zuko looked so raw, so vulnerable and so, so pretty with his large, glowing eyes, his shining skin and those plush, red lips that were just opened the tiniest bit and....

Ok, he had to stop himself right there.

Zuko was drunk. Even more than him at this moment, and the best thing to do was clearly to get him back inside and into his bed. Everything else would have to wait. Even the news about him being the new ambassador.

What was he even thinking? Telling Zuko the news at a party at night, while they were both too drunk to even think about anything related to politics? What a stupid idea, really!

So Sokka sighed and, reluctantly, let go of Zuko. He received a small pout in response, but looked away quickly before his thoughts could start to stray again.

"I'm gonna get you inside now, okay? You really shouldn't be standing here, just like that. I'm gonna get you to your quarters and then you can go to bed and we'll talk again tomorrow."

He didn't know if Zuko had understood everything he had just told him, but at least he accepted Sokka's help when he moved one of his arms to rest under his shoulder blades, so that he could help him move and steady him at the same time.

After a few steps, Zuko leaned against him and then they were off.

But just as they were about to leave the patch of grass, the traitorous tree root from earlier decided to disrupt all of their plans. 

Sokka didn't remember it being right there and certainly not this big and bothersome, so next he knew, he was on his back on the grass, with a pain in his right ankle and an extremely heavy and confused Zuko laying on top of his chest. Sokka let his head rest on the ground and hoped that the world would stop spinning for once. All of this was just going so extremely well...

However, Zuko's confusion didn't seem to last very long as only a moment later, his face split into a large grin and his hazy eyes started to focus on him and sparkle with an intent Sokka just couldn't figure out in the state he was currently in. He felt himself being drawn to staring into those eyes, that with each second seemed to dilate more. They were so unbelievable beautiful, Sokka thought. Like a raging fire, like Agni himself, as if he had chosen to leave the sky and settle into the eyes of the man on top of him. And Sokka might have hit his head way harder than expected, because they seemed to be getting closer, and closer, and...

And then there were Zuko's lips and they were right on top of his own and.... _Oh_.

 _Oh wow_.

Zuko had snapped his eyes shut, but Sokka just kept on staring, eyes wide open.

This could not be happening. Not now. Not to him.

Absolutely not.

But he just couldn't deny the comforting press of Zuko's lips on his own, the way the other man kept moving them as if to find an even better angle to kiss him and...

Tui and La... kiss! Zuko was kissing Sokka!

Suddenly everything became so much clearer. And even more confusing than before at the same time.

Zuko's breath was ghosting over his face and seemed to blow away all the fog that had settles in Sokka's mind after the countless glasses of sake that evening. What remained was great uncertainty and a warm feeling that... Nope, he would not be able to uncover all of that this night. But... He guessed he could enjoy it as long as it lasted, could he not? 

So Sokka started to lean up and close his eyes to mirror Zuko, desperately wanting to return the kiss. But just as his vision started to go black, those delicious lips suddenly left his own and his eyes snapped open in protest.

What was that about?

Apparently, Zuko was less concerned with his stunned gaze and more with wiping away the wetness he had left on Sokka's mouth.

"M'Sorry", he slurred.

Then he tucked his arms against Sokka's chest and started to settle down, quietly giggling to himself.

Just as he tucked his nose into Sokka's left shoulder, he whispered: "Mhhh... Want'd to do that for a loooong time."

 _Okay_ , Sokka thought at that and couldn't believe his ears as Zuko started to giggle again, now they definitely needed to talk about whatever... that was. But... not now. Not tonight.

Because the fact that it had now taken Zuko exactly ten seconds to go from giggling into his shoulder to passing out on top of him and snoring lightly, painfully reminded him that they were both very much still drunk and probably would make even more stupid decisions and overcomplicate stuff and.. yeah.

This was a problem for sober Sokka. Thank him later.

Right now he was just stuck with the thought that, wow, whatever that was had felt just so right and Sokka definitely wanted Zuko to do that again. Even if just to... test stuff out. Yeah.

For now, he gave up on his goal of getting Zuko into bed and rested his head against the suddenly very comfortable grass. He could feel his eyelids sliding shut and snuck up one hand to rest on Zuko's waist.. just so that he wouldn't fall over of course.

And like that, he noticed how exhausted he really was. Sleep definitely sounded like a great idea.

So, enjoying the press of the warm body on top of his, Sokka started to drift off.

* * *

It was the end of summer, but the days still seemed to drag on for way too long. At least Sokka felt like they did. Maybe it was because the heat was very stubborn this year and decided to stay and fill every new day with this stifling, uncomfortable air. Or maybe it was because it had been a few weeks since the celebration for the two year anniversary and although Sokka had been able to settle into his new role as ambassador for the Southern Water Tribe quite well, they still hadn't talked about what had happened that night in the garden.

And oh, how Sokka longed to talk about whatever that had been. Lately it seemed to eat him alive and he didn't know how long he would be able to withstand the need to bring it up. But... Zuko hadn't even mentioned the anniversary once. At least not to him. Not even in passing, just.. nothing.

And Sokka didn't know what to do with that observation.. Was he ashamed? Ashamed of what he did? What they did? Truthfully, not a lot had happened.. So, it couldn't be that bad, right? Was he just shy? They had been friends for years, so surely they would be able to just have a normal talk about it, right?

Sokka let out a groan and flopped down onto the mattress of Zuko's bed, where he was currently splayed out. He closed the scroll he had been reading and left it on the bedside table. It was way too hot to get anything done anyway. Never mind the mess that were his thoughts at the moment.

It had been a long day of meetings and discussions for both of them, but Zuko was still reading document after document with an enthusiasm that defied any explanation that Sokka could come up with.

At least he wasn't sitting at his desk anymore, but rather had moved to sit on his couch in front of the fireplace that probably hadn't been used for months by now. A small victory in Sokka's book.

If he really started to think about it, Sokka had rarely seen Zuko taking one break during these last few weeks. He was always kept busy by his various assistants and the other ambassadors and when they finally decided to give him some space, he somehow always managed to find some other kind of work that he needed to indulge himself in. Naturally, Sokka didn't approve of this at all.

Luckily, they had adopted to spend some of their evenings like this one: Together in either Sokka's or Zuko's quarters and just reading and working on their respective scrolls and proposals, occasionally exchanging commentary or making fun of whatever was written down in front of them. It was nice, that was for sure, but sometimes Sokka just longed for an evening that wasn't filled with work. Just the two of them, eating together, going out, ... This kind of stuff.

Also, Zuko just looked completely drained. He was giving it his all, just like he always did, but it certainly didn't seem to do him any good. And Sokka was dead set on changing that. Right now.

So he finally raised himself up on his elbows, glanced at Zuko still hunched over the latest scroll and proclaimed loud and clearly: "You need a break."

Ok, so maybe he had been a bit too loud and too sudden with voicing his thoughts like that because the instant the words had left his mouth, Zuko jerked violently on the couch and promptly dropped all of his scrolls on the floor in front of him.

" _Agni_ , Sokka!", he ran his fingers through his loose hair, sighed and then started to collect the fallen scrolls. "You can't just scare me like that. I was concentrating on this new proposal!"

Sokka cringed. He didn't want to scare Zuko like that, but at least now he could be sure that he had his attention.

"Yeah, you're right", he admitted, "But I stand by what I said. You definitely need a break. This reaction just proves my point. No more work for you today, and tomorrow... we'll take some time off as well!"

Arranging the scrolls on the table in front of the couch, Zuko turned to look to the side at Sokka and frowned.

"That's not possible. This needs to be finished by tomorrow afternoon. I can't just.. not do it. I don't have time for any breaks, sorry."

"Nope, nope", Sokka shook his head and stood up, making his way over to Zuko, "I _knew_ you would say that, so I already talked to one of your assistants. Ming, was it? She confirmed that it should be fine for you to take a small break, so no, I won't be accepting any more arguments against it. That's not gonna work with me, I'm afraid."

To be honest, he hadn't talked with anyone yet, especially not with Ming, but... he would just do that tomorrow and it should be fine. Besides, he knew that proposal Zuko was talking about. And its contents definitely weren't worth sacrificing your health over. So it was gonna be just fine.

Sokka settles next to Zuko on the couch and grabbed the scroll he had already picked up again right out of his hands.

"Hey! I still need to read that, Sokka. Come on!"

"No, absolutely not. Your official Firelord break starts just about right now!" 

"Says who?" Zuko raised his eyebrow.

"Says me!", Sokka grinned and threw the scroll carelessly behind himself to land on one of the plush carpets. "Your new personal free time manager!"

Zuko sighed and put his head in his hands.

"That isn't even a real job, y'know?", he mumbled into them.

"It is now, my dear Zuko!" Sokka just couldn't stop grinning. This was a lot easier than expected. Maybe Zuko just really needed this break, even if he wouldn't admit it to himself just yet. But they would eventually get there.

Zuko let out a groan but, like Sokka had predicted, didn't get up to retrieve the scroll. Instead, he turned his head to look at Sokka, propping it up on his left hand. "Well, what does my personal free time manager have in mind I should do instead? Any ideas?"

"That is a great question!" Sokka raised his arm to rest on the backrest of the couch behind Zuko, still leaving a few centimetres of space between them. "I have lots of amazing ideas! However, given that the day is almost over, I think it would be best to save most of them for tomorrow. We're just gonna have a nice relaxed evening together. We could finally talk about something not related to politics, for example. A bit of a daring suggestion I know, but just... think about it."

Zuko chuckled and raised his body up to lean against the backrest and, in turn, against Sokka's arm.

"No, that does sound good. I think I might just accept that idea, but only because it's you."

"Oh, what a lucky man I am", Sokka grinned, "that the Firelord himself considers me worthy enough to entertain an idle conversation with. I am flattered."

A light punch in the stomach interrupted his mocking grin for a moment and.. yeah, he probably deserved that one.

"Shut up", Zuko mumbled. "You know, we can always talk just like this. Sometimes it just gets hard with all of the responsibilities you and I both have so... I'm sorry."

Sokka patted him lightly on the back with the arm still on the backrest. "Yeah, I know, don't worry. I was just joking. And you know... Maybe we could still start making a habit out of this? Just... talking, about normal, silly stuff, even if it's just once a week."

Zuko nodded and Sokka started to grin again.

"Although I will make sure that we keep the sake out of it, we both know how that ended last time, right?"

He forced himself to utter a what he hoped was a casual laugh. Had that been to straight-forward? He really wanted to talk about it though...

The blush that crept onto Zuko's face had Sokka's heart beating faster.

But his small hope was crushed almost the next instant, when Zuko quickly shook his head.

"You're talking about the anniversary, right? Agni, I'm so sorry if I did something extremely embarrassing back then... I hated talking to the dignitaries all evening, they wouldn't even let me say hello to you or Suki or.. anyone, really. So I guess I tried to drown it out with the sake. Hah." He huffed out a dry laugh. "And guess where that got me? Now I barely remember anything that happened that night. It's just a big blur. I think I was talking to the ambassador of the Northern Water tribe and then left to get something more to drink and next thing I know.. I wake up in my bed, still in most of my robes from the evening and can barely keep my eyes open because of the pounding headache... So yeah, not really one of my proudest nights..."

Sokka tried to gulp down the bitter taste that those words left in his mouth. After he had woken up in that garden at sunrise, he had barely managed to get Zuko inside and into his bed without any help. He had thought about staying with him, but in the end had concluded that it would come across a bit weird if he just sat there when Zuko eventually would wake up. So after Katara had helped with his hangover and gotten Zuko to finally leave his bed in the late afternoon, he had tried talking to him a few times, but nothing had come from it. Now he finally understood why it had been like that. Zuko didn't even remember anything!

Spirits, this was going to be way harder than expected.

Apparently his raging thoughts had become apparent on his face, since Zuko's expression shifted to one of concern fairly quickly.

"Is everything alright? Please don't tell me something horrible happened, oh Agni, I don't even know if I wanna find out about it now..."

Sokka immediately tried to get his facial expression under control.

"No, no, don't worry! Nothing horrible happened! Really, nothing happened at all, if I'm being honest." He tried again for a casual laugh and, for now, Zuko seemed to buy it, and he seemed more at ease.

"Good."

So, Sokka thought to himself, it obviously wasn't gonna work like this now. Zuko not remembering had made things about a hundred times more complicated but... he was gonna figure something out. He always did. Yeah.

"I did have a really nice dream though, if I remember correctly", Zuko said sheepishly and turned his face down to hide the new blush creeping onto it. 

Now that got Sokka's attention.

"Really? What was it about", he grinned.

Zuko's blush deepened and he again shook his head rapidly.

"Ah, well, doesn't really matter. It's not that important anyway. You probably wouldn't understand it."

Sokka looked at him sceptically. Was that really everything there was to it? Or was Zuko just trying to distract him, so that he wouldn't ask any more questions about this.. dream? If so, Sokka had to admit that it was working, as Zuko started to snuggle closer and let out a yawn, the absolutely endearing look in his eyes drowning out all of his other thoughts.

Fine, he was gonna let him off that one time. But only this once!

"No way, don't tell me you're going to fall asleep on me again!" Sokka laughed and lightly pushed at Zuko's shoulder, which didn't seem to disturb him one bit. So he gave up and just finally wrapped his arm fully around the other's shoulders. Zuko turned his head and smiled softly into his arm.

"And what if I do?" Another yawn escaped Zuko's lips and he slowly started to sink down further into the plush cushions of the couch.

Sighing, Sokka let himself relax as well and watched how Zuko's eyes slid closed.

Maybe it would be better to just appreciate what he had for now. Their little space right here in Zuko's quarters, his arm around his shoulders and Zuko's breath against his collarbone. There really wasn't much more he could ask for right now.

Overcome with this sudden flood of new and tender feelings, he carefully moved his lips down and pressed them to Zuko's forehead. It was just a light touch and he removed them almost instantly, but it still made his heart beat so much faster.

Especially when Zuko didn't flinch or turn away, but rather hummed happily and nuzzled his face even closer into Sokka's chest.

Yeah, if that was how it was gonna be, he could definitely get used to it... For now.

Smiling to himself, Sokka turned his gaze towards the large balcony doors and watched a myriad of orange and yellows dance on the horizon, bidding the day goodbye and embracing the approaching night with open arms.

* * *

There. He said it.

There was no going back now. It was done.

Finally, Sokka thought to himself, he just couldn't keep it in any longer. That was why he also felt a strange sense of relief and calm washing over him. Whatever happened from now on, he knew he could take it. That was what he had chosen. And he'd choose it again.

_A few days ago_

Zuko let out the probably tenth groan in just under a few minutes and put down the scroll he was reading to put his head in his hands.

Looking up from his own documents, Sokka glanced over to the Firelord's desk to see Zuko combing his fingers through his hair rapidly, almost dislodging the crown resting in his topknot. 

"Those trade agreements again?"

Sokka knew that for the last few weeks, those deals had been the only thing on Zuko's mind and also the thing that was slowly driving him insane.

"Yeees..." his voice was muffled by his hands again but you could still make out the sheer exasperation. "They seem to be getting nowhere at all. Some of the colonies want us to act as a mediator for them and the Southern Water Tribe, but they are not even willing to think about basic compromises." He took a deep breath. "And correspondence with the South has become less frequent as time went on and now I can't even be sure what their take on the problem is anymore. Do they even want these goods? Do they need them?"

Sokka shrugged and put away his scroll.

"Sorry, but I haven't been home in over 6 months. I keep sending letters to my dad, but we don't usually talk about the these kinds of issues. So I know about as much as you do, I'm afraid."

Zuko sighed and turned to look at Sokka. His hair was now a complete mess and there were strands hanging over his forehead and into his eyes that Sokka just longed to touch and to put behind his ears and-

"I just feel like a real in-depth discussion could really clear up some stuff, you know? Don't you think so too?"

Shaking his head Sokka broke himself out of whatever that was he had been caught in and said: "Yeah... yeah, I agree. Especially with the Southern Tribe. Since we rarely get people who travel from there to the palace. But... how are you gonna do it? Just sending a few hawks won't be enough right?"

"Yes, I've thought about that", Zuko agreed, "And I came up with this kind of crazy and spontaneous idea, so..." he looked down and started to evade Sokka's curious glances, "So just say if you think this is stupid, but.... How are you feeling about actually going there? Just you and me. To have an open discussion and, for you, an opportunity to see part of your family again? We could even call it a small vacation if that's what you'd like."

And damn, Zuko was blushing again. If he kept doing that, Sokka would become weak enough to just straight up confess everything way too soon.

He cleared his throat.

"You're really thinking of going on vacation? With me and.. also for me?"

Like he said, he had only been gone for about half a year. Of course he missed his home, but it wasn't as if this homesickness was getting out of hand anytime soon. Still, it was so nice to think about that Zuko had actually also thought about him when coming up with this plan.

Zuko nodded shyly and glanced up again: "Only if you want, of course. I just thought, you'd probably like to go back at least for some time and since these trade agreements are really driving me crazy right now... So, yeah.. But if you'd rather stay here, that's also totally-"

"No, no!", Sokka raised his hands and promptly lowered his voice at the surprised and uncertain expression on Zuko's face. "No, what I mean is: _Yes_. Yes, I absolutely would love going there with you. Obviously. This is all just a bit.. spontaneous, like you've said. But we can totally go there, like, right now. I'd be ready."

He could see Zuko loosening up more and more with everything he told him and then a grin appeared on the other man's face.

"Good, the airship leaves tomorrow morning. Better start getting ready."

And that was how they ended up cramped into Sokka's rather tiny igloo, a few days later.

There was a fire cackling lively in front of them, furs spread out under them, covering almost the entire right side of the igloo, making for a cosy and... intimate atmosphere.

They had settled into an easy conversation for the evening, having just concluded their first meeting of their stay in the South, with it being only their second day in total.

Overall, things were going well for them. The meeting today had been a good start. But there were still some things that bothered Sokka. A lot.

It was only natural for his people to still be a bit vary of the new Firelord. Even if Zuko had helped end the war, was considered a hero along with the rest of them and had sworn to spend his life trying to undo the damage his nation had brought onto the world, the Southern Water Tribe being especially important for him, due to his personal connection. But a century of war and imperialistic raids and conquests were not easily undone in merely a few years. This image of the Fire Nation persisted in the people's minds and would continue to do so for some time. All they could do was try to work against it by showing them their support, acknowledging all the tragedies that had happened and swear to never let history repeat itself again.

Sokka was aware that it would take a lot of time, he really was. But when he was in that meeting and saw the looks some of the councilmen gave him, he somehow felt himself getting angry that these people were trying to judge Zuko on a personal level. Luckily most of the council (lead by his father and Bato) was accepting of them or at least keeping it professional, trying to work towards the common goal to finally settle the trade agreements.

But there were also the ones that didn't. The ones that made offhand personal comments about Zuko, his family and nation. And Sokka would've just ignored them... If he hadn't seen the look on Zuko's face when he managed to catch one of those comments. How his professional expression seemed to crumble for a moment, showing the shame and vulnerability under it, before he eventually caught himself again and moved on as if nothing had happened.

Like the leader of the nation that he was.

(and not like the young boy he still looked like) 

So Sokka mentioned it. Mentioned how the looks annoyed him and if Zuko was alright with them, if there was anything he could do to help. He would gladly teach at least one of them a short lesson but that would most likely cost him is place as ambassador and also damage the reputation of both of them so... That was (sadly) out of question.

But Zuko waved it off anyway. He curled in on himself and sent Sokka a questioning look.

"Why do you care so much about all of that? It's only naturally for them to act like that. You know that it's just me, right? It's not like they're insulting you or Katara or-"

Sokka couldn't bare to listen to any more of that.

"No, it's not _just_ you!" Maybe he got a little too worked up over all of this, but he didn't care. "That's the whole reason I'm so mad! I'm furious because it's you! Because you don't deserve any of this. You are so... kind and amazing and strong and such a good leader to your nation and you can be so funny and also cute even if you'd never admit to it and I think I've never met a more inspiring person in my whole life, so..." He took a deep breath. "That's why."

Okay, maybe all of that had been a bit too much. Because Zuko was staring at him right now, eyes wide open and an expression on his face that Sokka couldn't quite decipher. Overwhelmed? Bashful? But also... Hopeful? Expectant? (Of what?)

And slowly but surely, Zuko's cheeks started to burn and he adverted his eyes again, fidgeting in place a bit before he spoke up: "But... They also criticise your dad a lot and you don't get nearly as worked up over it as it is with me..." That was true, Hakoda was also a frequent target of criticism or insults of any shape or form. Being as close as he was to Zuko and the fire nation. But it wasn't the same.....

Zuko still wasn't finished.

"So... I don't understand. Why-" 

Sokka couldn't keep it in anymore, so he interrupted him again: "Because with you it's different!" He suddenly felt a chill go down his spine despite the heat of the fire in front of them as he looked to his side and saw Zuko staring at him, curious and again so damn _hopeful_ it made Sokka's heart ache. Did this mean what he thought it meant? What he hoped it meant? Could he even be this lucky? He continued either way.

"Can't you see it?" He reached down to grab both of Zuko's hands in his. He didn't care at all that his were growing sweatier by the minute. He needed to get this out. "It's because... Because..."

Zuko glanced down at their joined hands for a moment and then looked up again, his eyes wide open (even his scarred one, which he had never seen like _that_ before), glistening with expectation and a question he didn't dare ask.

And damn him. Zuko looked absolutely beautiful like that. With the snow behind and around him making his blush stand out even more, the fireplace growing in size and warmth at his left side, giving an ethereal glow to his features.

_Fuck it._

"It's because I'm in love with you, stupid!"

Then: Silence.

And Sokka didn't know how to deal with that. Did he... just ruin everything? He had been so sure about himself just a few seconds ago, about the expression on Zuko's face, about how their relationship had been progressing in the last few months... He used to just _get_ Zuko. Reading his face like an open book. But now... He found that he couldn't read Zuko's expression at all.

 _Spirits_... What had he done?

Zuko opened his mouth. Sokka almost felt like letting go of his hands and holding them over his own ears, tuning out everything.

Then: Two words.

Whispered into the quiet of their small igloo, almost unnoticeable.

"Me too."

...

The fire was burning low because there wasn't enough wood anymore to fuel it right but that didn't matter right now. Because even though the heat of the fire was steadily declining, Sokka felt as warm as ever. He probably hadn't felt this warm, this content, this _glowing_ in a long, long time.

Because he now had a different warmth. Right under him. Impossibly close to his body so that he could even sense the other's heartbeat. I didn't really came as surprise that it was as fast as his own.

They were almost mirroring the scene from the anniversary, only this time, Sokka was on top of Zuko.

And the kiss was longer. _Way_ longer.

This time, it didn't taste like alcohol and some expensive and exotic palace food, but rather like the plain soup they just had for dinner and even more like tenderness, like familiarity, like _coming home_. And Sokka wouldn't wanna have it any other way.

They were clinging to each other and their clothes as tightly as they could. So they would never let go again. So they would never forget again. So that they could be sure that this was in-fact happening, that this was _real_. 

Zuko gasped and turned his head to find a better angle. Sokka moved with him, their lips moving together perfectly. Like two parts of a whole, like they were always meant to be that way.

Their kiss was heated, but not desperate. Passionate, but not demanding. They were discovering each other for what felt like the first time. Curiously trying out different approaches, different places to put their hands, to touch, to caress.

It was beautiful.

But like the fire next to them, their flame also started to lessen, until all that was left were some softly glowing embers inside their chests, that brought with them a feeling of complete content.

Smiling and never stopping to look in each other's eyes, they settled down under the furs, laying next to each other and absentmindedly tracing lines on their faces and necks.

Zuko was tucking one of Sokka's loose strands behind his ear when he asked: "Why didn't you tell me earlier? I never knew you felt this way about me too..."

Sokka smiled and turned his head to kiss the hand that was still hovering near his ear. Even though they had just made out, it was still this gesture that made Zuko blush almost uncontrollably.

"Well, I was going to tell you. Actually I was planning on doing so weeks, maybe months ago. But... Then you didn't remember our kiss at the anniversary and I thought-"

Zuko stopped him right then and there by grasping the front of his tunic and staring into his eyes with an incredulous look.

"OUR WHAT?"

Oh, right. Zuko probably still didn't remember anything.

Sokka laughed and pulled Zuko close to his chest, getting him to relax again and snuggle closer.

"Oops, my bad. Guess I probably should've mentioned that at some time... Seems like I have some explaining to do."

"You can say that again..." came the muffled reply from the face that was currently pressed against his chest. 

Sokka laughed again and gently kissed Zuko's head. "I promise to tell you everything tomorrow, alright?"

Zuko nodded and gave a long yawn in response.

"You're already yawning again?" Sokka chuckled "Man, Zuko, what is it with you and your chronic sleepiness? Don't you get enough sleep at night?"

Zuko snuggled impossibly closer and hummed. "Mhh, only when you are with me."

"Well", Sokka smiled and tucked Zuko's head under his chin, tugging the furs closer to both of their necks. "Then I guess it's not going to be much of a problem anymore. From now on, I'll never let you sleep alone. Promise."

Sokka waited for a response, but then noticed that Zuko's breathing had already slowed down and he was fast asleep. Good. He really needed a good night's sleep after everything that had happened today.

And so did Sokka.

So he closed his eyes and settled down into the furs, the fire next to them close to disappearing completely. But he noticed that he didn't need that warmth anymore.

He had his own personal fire right here in his arms. A fire that made him feel wanted and understood and _loved_.

And he was never going to let it go.

Never.

* * *

Many years later, summer had come yet again to the Fire Nation and the days were steadily growing hotter and hotter as the weeks that were left until the Summer Solstice became less and less.

Agni had nearly completed his journey for today and was starting to sink down towards the horizon. With him, Zuko could also feel the flame inside his chest starting to shrink, already missing the fuel for his chi and bending.

But that didn't really bother him too much right now.

He was laying in bed, propped up against the cushions, reading the play of a new playwright that was about to visit Caldera with his theatre ensemble in a few days. They had already announced to give a special performance at the palace, just for the Firelord and whoever he wished to invite as well. So Zuko thought it would be better to know the contents of the play in advance, so that he could enjoy the performance to its full extent.

He looked out his balcony doors and noticed that Agni was now almost touching the ocean in the distance. It was getting late. And Sokka wasn't back yet.

This wasn't an unnatural occurrence per se - his fiancé often spent way too much time in his lab and sometimes even missed dinner because of that - but Zuko still wished they could spend the evenings when he didn't have any more late meetings like this: together, in bed, just enjoying each other's presence.

He sighed and moved on to the next scene. In the end, it wasn't that bad. They still found enough time to spend together. Even if he sometimes had to fight with Sokka's newest idea or invention over the top spot on his list of priorities, Zuko knew that he would always come out on top eventually. 

Sokka couldn't resist his charm after all.

He smirked and sank back further into the cushions.

There was a rumble outside of the door that lead to their chambers and Zuko perked up as he heard the guards' distressed voices. Was there something serious going on?

His question was answered almost immediately as the door burst open and a person carrying numerous boxes in front of their chest wobbled in, trying to keep their balance to not make everything fall over.

Zuko chuckled and put aside the play. It wasn't very hard to figure out who exactly was behind all those boxes.

"Did you run out of space in your lab, love?" He laughed as he crossed his arms in front of his chest and watched as Sokka carefully tried to put down all of the boxes next to one of the desks. "Is our bedroom now also some sort of storage space for you?"

After wiping the sweat of his brows, Sokka rested his hands on his hips and made sure that none of the boxes were going to fall over, before smiling and approaching Zuko who was still casually resting on the bed.

"Only for a few weeks, babe. I promise. After that, it'll be all gone!"

Sitting down on the edge of the bed, he gave him a quick kiss.

"Hey."

Zuko smiled and raised his hand to wipe some soot off his cheek.

"Hey."

Now that he could get a better look at him, Zuko noticed that Sokka looked absolutely exhausted. There were bags under his bloodshot eyes and his hair was a complete mess. His once tidy wolf tail was almost completely undone. So were some of the braids that were hanging in front of his face. The loose strands were either sticking to his sweaty forehead or covered in soot and oil, which made them appear almost as black as Zuko's hair.

There were more soot and oil stains all over his clothes and especially on his hands and forearms. Zuko noticed with alarm that some had even been on his pants, which surely by now had already stained the fine, silk sheets of their bed.

He shook his head and sighed.

There was one part that wasn't stained or damaged though. The delicate, red necklace with a black pendant made from the dark volcanic stone that was found right under the palace still looked impeccable and rested safely against Sokka's throat. Zuko almost absentmindedly went to touch its blue copy that was fastened around his neck, even now, years after they'd started dating, months after the engagement, it still felt like something out of a dream, like it was too good to be true.

But he stopped himself from getting too caught up in these feelings as he once again looked Sokka over and tried to stifle an endearing laugh.

"You look horrible. What are you working on that it leaves you this... gross."

Now it was Sokka's turn to cross his arms across his chest as he slowly rose from the bed.

(And yes, the sheets were already stained, because of course they were.)

"Excuse you! I didn't come here just for you to make fun of me like that. Rude."

Sokka laughed and extended his hand to help Zuko get up from his position on the bed.

"But yes, I do feel like shit. It's worth it though, believe me!"

Now standing next to his fiancé, Zuko gently kissed his shoulder as he turned Sokka around and pushed him towards the door that lead to their bathroom.

"Oh, I believe you. You're always thinking of the most amazing things when you're in there. But... sometimes you also need to start thinking of yourself a little more."

He opened the bathroom door and, squeezing his hand, Sokka gave him a grin. "Yeah, I will. And even if I don't, I'll always have you to take care of me. Right, babe?"

He leaned forward and stole another kiss from Zuko's lips.

Zuko laughed. "Of course. Now..." He motioned for Sokka to step into the bathroom. "Wash up and I'll get everything ready for the night, ok?"

Sokka didn't need to be told twice and immediately disappeared into the room, happy to finally get rid of his stained clothing and wash away all the soot and oil on his skin.

In the meantime, Zuko laid out some loose pair of pants for Sokka and prepared the bed for the night, getting rid of some of the cushions and shaking out the blanket.

When Sokka finally returned to the main bedroom, a dark towel wrapped loosely around his hips and clouds of steam following him, Zuko was seated on the bed with his legs crossed, already expecting him.

"You ready to go to bed, love?" He asked, getting up and handing Sokka the pants he had picked out.

"Absolutely" Sokka grinned as he pulled on his pants.

"What are you even working on that keeps you this busy in the lab? You haven't been this occupied since you made me my betrothal necklace. And that's saying something."

They settled into bed next to each other, still propped up by the headboard, so that they could hold each other's hand and talk more easily.

"Well", Sokka grinned a little mischievously. "I can't really tell you too much, but it has something to do with the fire works we always use at the celebration for the Summer Solstice. I think you'll like it. It's really worth spending all that time on."

"Mhh, if you say so.." Zuko said and let his eyes wander over Sokka's bare upper body, especially his chest and abs. The extra training they put in lately and all that time spent working in the lab instead of just sitting in boring meetings seemed to really pay off, he thought with a smirk. Lucky him, that Sokka just refused to wear anything more than some loose pants to sleep in during the summer. He just couldn't quite get used to the hotter climate. Even after countless summers spent in the fire nation, his body still refused to adapt to it.

Not that Zuko minded. Even though he himself always wore a loose shirt, he loved snuggling up to Sokka's bare chest before falling asleep. And it was very nice to look at, _of course_.

It was no wonder that Sokka had caught him staring.

"Like what you see?", Sokka grinned and wrapped one arm around Zuko's waist.

"Well", Zuko grinned back and gave him a quick peck on the cheek, "Let me just say that summer definitely has its perks."

He laid a hand on Sokka's stomach and absentmindedly started to trace the lines of his muscles there. Sokka shuddered and pulled Zuko even closer by his waist.

"But you really need to rest right now", Zuko gently kissed his shoulder and sat up to tug the blanket closer to them. "And tomorrow, when you don't look like you're gonna fall asleep at any second, we can do everything we want to, ok?"

Sokka sighed a little disappointedly but nodded. "I know you're right, but that doesn't mean that I like it... But what can you do?"

Sokka moved to lay down on the bed, bending his knees in the process. With Zuko still looking at his face, there was no way he could've missed the very obvious cringe and the little hiss that escaped Sokka's teeth, as he tried to move his left leg.

Zuko let the blanket rest at the end of the bed and crossed his arms, looking down at his fiancé accusingly.

"It's the leg again, isn't it?" Sokka tried opening his mouth to let out some form of protest, but Zuko didn't let him. "I _know_ it's the leg. You can't really hide that from me, you know? Why didn't you tell me? You know that I know how to get rid of some of the pain."

"Yeah...", Sokka refused to look him in the eyes and instead stared at the high ceiling, "But, it's not that bad. I'm sure tomorrow, it'll be all better. You don't really need to do anything, I can handle this."

Zuko sighed lovingly and moved to stroke the loose strands of hair out of Sokka's face. "I know that you believe that you're strong enough to take care of this on your own. But you don't need to. You're allowed to feel pain, to be vulnerable sometimes. Let me take care of you."

Being too exhausted to continue with this debate, Sokka just sighed. "Alright." And he added: "I might've maybe kinda hit it while I was running around in the lab. And it's been acting up ever since."

"Thank you, love", Zuko kissed his forehead and moved to get up. "Wait a minute."

After a few moments he returned to their bed carrying some special salve, that the healer had mixed especially for Sokka's leg, and a long slim cushion, that they had invented together a few years ago, filled with applecherry pits.

Sokka already knew what to do, so he tried to straighten his leg as best as he could and relax his whole body. Closing his eyes, he waited for the soothing salve to be applied.

Zuko smiled softly and pushed up the left pant leg, so that he had access to the knee and calf. He took some of the salve out of the bottle and gently spread it over his knee first and then went on to also cover his calf and the lower parts of his thigh. The relaxing aroma of the lavendermint petals that had been added to the mixture started to fill the room. Even Zuko could feel Sokka's leg warming up and relaxing further as he massaged the salve into his sore muscles and tissue, letting the comfrey-camomile do its work.

They had discovered that heat always seemed to work best for relieving most of the pain, so after the salve had settles into the skin and muscles, Zuko took the applecherry cushion and carefully wrapped it around the part where the pain always seemed to focus. He tried not to disturb the leg too much, but Sokka just continued to hum, seeming perfectly relaxed and hopefully already not feeling any pain.

Zuko moved to kneel next to his leg and placed his hands on top of the wrapped cushion. He closed his eyes and carefully moved his chi to flow through his arms, into his hands and then into the cushion, always checking that he never overheated it. The temperature started to rise steadily and when he finally reached what he deemed was the ideal one, Zuko slowly opened his eyes and looked over to Sokka's face.

He smiled.

Sokka's expression was one of pure relaxation. There were still the bags under his eyes, but everything else looked like he was completely enjoying himself.

"Good? Is the temperature alright?"

"Mhh", Sokka hummed and didn't even try to open his eyes as he sighed: "Yeah... Very good."

Zuko chuckled and chose to lay back as well, settling down a bit lower on the bed, so that he could keep one of his hands on the cushion to keep the temperature steady and comfortable.

Only a few minutes had passed when Zuko perked up as he heard a soft snore coming from above. He looked up and felt his heart squeeze from the sight alone.

Sokka's face was turned towards him, so that the side was squished into the pillow, making him look absolutely adorable. His lips were curled up in a content and relaxed smile. There was a slight blush on his cheeks, probably from the heat on his leg. He just looked completely at ease and Zuko could not have been happier.

Over all these years, it had always been Sokka that had reminded Zuko to get enough sleep, to let himself relax once a while and to offer his help when Zuko had trouble falling asleep. With Sokka near him, he never had to fear spending another night sleepless, with thoughts raging about in his head.

So when he had discovered how to deal with the chronic pain in Sokka's leg, Zuko had been overjoyed. He would finally be able to give something back, to repay his fiancé for all the times where Sokka had helped him out. Even if he was still a little bit hesitant to accept the help when offered, Zuko could always convince him to give it a try, to just... let go.

Checking the temperature one last time, Zuko moved up the bed to settle next to Sokka. He covered both of them with the light blanket and relaxed against his pillow, letting one arm rest across Sokka's chest.

Letting his eyes slip closed, he smiled when he felt Sokka starting to snuggle close unconsciously. A few moments later, Sokka had rested his head against Zuko's chest and let out another content sigh.

There was still some of the heat of the hot summer day remaining, but Zuko felt himself slip away easily nonetheless.

How could he not?

He had the perfect man right there, in his arms. Their necklaces showed the whole world that they belonged to each other and no one else.

They completed each other perfectly and Zuko couldn't think of a better future to look forward to than getting to fall asleep next to the person he loved for the rest of his life.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! <3
> 
> Kudos and comments always make my day!
> 
> (Title from the poem “Dreams” by Paul Laurence Dunbar)
> 
> Atla tumblr: [life-happens-wherever](https://life-happens-wherever.tumblr.com)


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